Improvement in folding chairs



E. E. MORSE. Folding-Chair.

NQ. 214,174. Patented April' 8, 18791 NPEYERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER.WASHINGTON, D Cy UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EMMA E. MORSE, OF GHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,174, dated April 8,1879; application filed December 12, 1878.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA E. MORSE, of Charlestown, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Folding Chairs; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding chairs for nursery andsick-room purposes as well as for traveling purposes 5 and this myinvention is so constructed that when not in use it may be foldedtogether, so as to occupy but very little space-so small, indeed, thatan ordinary childs chair may be folded in an ordinary traveling-trunk orsmall box. Adults chairs of this construction may also be foldedtogether flat, so as to be put under a bed or put away in a closet, orotherwise disposed of in a very small space when not required for use.

The chair may be made of wood or rattan, or of other materials, as maybe desired.

The invention is carried out as follows: To the back of the chair arehinged the sides, that are each provided with suitable hinges, locatedmidway between the front and rear, at which place each side is divided,so that the sides may be folded inward. The forward ends of the sidesare hinged to the front of the chair, and the seat is hinged in asuitable manner to the back, so that the said seat may be folded againstthe back when the chair is not required for use.

The seat may be made solid or provided with a hole for nursery orinvalid purposes.

The hinges may be made of metal, or wood, or rattan, or other suitablematerials without departing from the nature of my invention.

To unfold the chair it is only necessary to pull forward the front pieceas far as it will go, when the side pieces will be brought at rightangles to the back and front, after which the seat is turned downwardbetween the sides until its forward end comes to a rest either on thefront itself or upon stops at the forward when folded together. Fig. 2represents a.

perspective view of the chair when opened for use. Fig. 3 represents ahorizontal section of the chair when closed, and Fig. Lirepresents avertical section of the chair also when closed.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on thedifferent parts of the drawings.

a is the back of the chair, and bis the front, and o c c c are the sidepieces, which latter are jointed or hinged together midway between theback and front, as shown at d d. e e are hinges or joints at thejunction of the front part, b, and the forward ends of the side pieces cc, as shown. ff are hinges or joints at the junction of the back a andthe rear ends of the side pieces c c. g is the folding seat, that ishinged at its rear end to the back a, as shown at h l1, in Figs. 2 and4., which folding seat may be folded up against the back of the chair,as represented in Figs.fl and 4.

I am aware that a folding bedstead has been constructed of side piecesdivided and hinged at their center, and at their ends hinged to piecesprojecting from the head and foot boards, and provided with a bed-bottomdivided and hinged transversely at its center and to the head and footboards; but such is not my invention, and is hereby disclaimed.

In my invention I provide a folding chair in which the side pieces aredivided and hinged at their center and at each end directly to the backand front pieces at their junction therewith, and the rigid seat of thechair is free at its front end and hinged directly to the back, wherebythe whole can be folded into a coinpact body, and when unfolded the seatts snugly down in place, afording a means of rigidly retaining the partsin position.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation ofmy invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim- A foldingchair consisting of :i buck piece, In tosiimony that I claim theforegoing as a, ai seat, g, hinged at its junction with the my owninvention I have aiixed my signature back, a front piece, I), anddivided side pieces in presence of two Witnesses.

c c', hinged together sind to the front and back EMMA E. MORSE. piecesat their junction therewith, snbstun- Witnesses: tially as shown anddescribed, for the plm ALBAN ANDRN,

poses herein set forth. FRANCIS ALLEN.

